Fibre transfer apparatus



19.68 R. N. SALA 3,366,422

FIBRE TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed June 27, 1966 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nvenlor 164/140 #060: SAL/2 By $6M Attorneys Jan. 30, 1968 R. N. SALA FIBRE TRANSFER APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27. 1966 Inventor KAMa/v A osai SAL/1 Attorneys United States Patent 3,366,422 FIBRE TRANSFER APPARATUS Ramon Nogue Sala, 129 Carretera d'e Molins de Rey, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain Filed June 27, 1966, Ser. No. 560,762 Claims priority, application Spain, July 1, 1965, Patent 314,828 7 Claims. (Cl. 30217) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Fibre transfer apparatus connects two successive machines used in the processing of textile fibres. The transfer apparatus includes a fan for sucking the fibres from the first machine and a conveyor pipe which receives the fibres from the fan. The conveyor pipe has a flexible portion, and a mouthpiece is provided at the outlet of said portion opening into a fibre accumulating and compacting apparatus at the inlet to the second machine. Said accumulating and compacting apparatus includes a plurality of parallel rollers arranged in the form of a funnel; the mouthpiece is adapted to oscillate parallel to said rollers.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the transfer and uniform distribution of fibres between two successive machines used in the processing of textile fibres, by virtue whereof it is possible without having recourse to the usual mechanical transfer means such as cages or the like, to obtain a uniform feed of fibres from, for example, a first spinning machine which may be a carding engine or finisher or a bale breaker and a carder, a finisher or the like or in the case of a carding line, a carder and a finisher, or any other combination of machines used in a textile mill, in which it is required to transfer the fibres from the discharge end of a preceding machine to the intake end of a succeeding machine.

The application of the improvements of the present invention to carding lines or the above-mentioned units of a textile mill or to any other combination of two successive spinning machines in which it is required to transfer fibres from the one machine to the other, affords the advantage of dispensing with the dofiing devices of the first machine and, which is even more important, makes it possible to effect the transfer using a minimum of elements, to distribute the fibres evenly at the entry to the second machine, and further to obtain a perfectly even sheet or sliver of fibres for treatment in such second machine, as well as of the fleece or sliver issuing fiom such second machine.

uct; the regularity in the operation of the second machine representing a novel advance in the art, of great importance for the industry concerned.

According to the present invention I provide fibre transfer and distributing apparatus connectible between two successive machines used in the processing of textile fibres comprising fibre transfer means connectible to the discharge end of the first machine, which transfer means are adapted to receive fibres from said discharge end of the first machine and deposit them at the intake end of the second machine, and fibre accumulating and compacting means fixedly mounted on said intake end of the second machine to receive the fibres from the fibre transfer means, the arrangement being such that the fibres issue from the accumulating and compacting means in the form of a uniform sheet or sliver suitable for processing in the second machine.

Preferably the fibre transfer means comprises a fiexi- 3,366,422 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 ble elongated pneumatic conveyor pipe provided at one end with suction means for withdrawing fibres from the discharge end of the first machine and at the other end with a discharge mouthpiece for depositing fibres in the fibre accumulating and compacting means.

Further preferably the discharge mouthpiece is adapted for reciprocating transverse movement within the entry to the fibre accumulating compacting means.

The elongated pneumatic conveyor pipe is composed in at least part of its length of loose-coupled elements permitting reciprocating transverse movement within the entry to the fibre accumulating and compacting means.

The fibre accumulating and compacting means comprises a plurality of oppositely rotatable perforated cylinders mounted to define a funnel or hopper fixed at the intake end of the second machine.

The cylinders are mounted on a frame with their longitudinal axes parallel to each other and the direction of transverse movement of the discharge mouthpiece of the pneumatic conveyor pipe.

It is provided that in its section consisting of loosecoupled elements the pneumatic conveyor line remains of substantially constant mean length, so that for the same flow rate and volume of the said pneumatic transfer means, the rate of feed of the fibres to the mouthpiece at the entry to the second machine shall remain constant while the said mouthpiece is being moved transversely, thus changing the shape and course of the pneumatic transfer line.

The rotary motion of the cylinders in the stationary device for collecting and compacting the fibres must be suitably synchronised with the rotation of the intake cylinders of the second machine in order that all the cylinders may have the tendency to feed the fibres through the accumulating and compacting hopper or funnel-shaped space.

In accordance with a preferential form of embodiment of these improvements it is provided that the loose-coupled elements of the pneumatic transfer line are identical and hinged on their centreline in such manner that each such element is joined at its rear end to the front end of the element which it precedes, and hinged at its own front end to the rear end of the element which it follows; the successive elements being thus loosely linked with sufficient play in the direction of motion of the air flow: i.e., the front end of smaller cross-section of any such element enters the wider rear end of the preceding hinged element, in the direction corresponding to the fiow of air in the pneumatic transfer system.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described simply by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation in part section of the discharge end of the pneumatic fibre transfer means inserted in the accumulating and compacting device;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sketch of the pneumatic fibre transfer means fitted between two successive machines of a spinning line, and,

FIG. 3 is a detailed section of several loose-coupled elements of the pneumatic transfer means.

Referring to the drawings tWo successive machines in a spinning line for textile fibres or the like, are linked by a device effecting the transfer of the said fibres between the two machines, and ensuring their uniform distribution at the entry to the second such machine, said device forming an assembly (see FIG. 2), comprising suction means 10 receiving the fibres from the discharge end of the first machine 11 and connected to the entry end 12 of a pneumatic conveyor line 12 for such fibres, Which line terminates in a discharge mouthpiece 13 installed at the outlet 12 of the conveyor line 12, which mouthpiece 13 has the particular feature that it can be moved transversely on a carrier bar 14, (see FIG. 1), in the direction of the arrows 15: i.e., transversely with respect to the stationary accumulating and compacting device 16 fitted at the entry to the second machine 17 of the spinning line. In addition, the pneumatic transfer line 12 is composed, in at least a part of its length 12', of loose-coupledelements 18 permitting lateral motion of the discharge mouthpiece 13. Moreover, the stationary fibre accumulating and compacting device 16 is formed by a supporting frame 22 which carries a number of rotatable cylinders 2% with perforated walls, arranged with a downwardly decreasing spacing to form a cone or funnel the said cylinders 20 being mounted with their axes parallel to each other and to the guide bar 14 on which the transversely-movable mouthpiece 13 feeding the fibres to the aforesaid device is fitted. The mouthpiece 13 is designed to allow the fibres to fall between pairs of counter rotating cylinders 20 bounding the central space 21 in the shape of a cone or funnel, which is of sufficient capacity to accumulate a substantial quantity of such fibres. In this cone or funnel, the accumulating and compacting of the fibres consequently takes place and from the bottom thereof the fibres issue in the form of a sheet or sliver 23, to enter the mouth of the second machine 17 of the spinning train.

A further feature of the invention consists in that the pneumatic transfer means 12 also includes, besides the pipe or pipeline proper, a fan or blower 24 the speed of which can be regulated to adjust the flow volume and pressure according to the different types and counts of fibre to be processed. In its section 12, the pneumatic transfer line consists of loose-coupled elements maintaining a constant average length of the line so that for the same flow rate and speed of the suction and impelling parts of the line, the feed of the fibres through the mouthpiece 13 can be maintained constant at the entry to the machine 17, while the mouthpiece is being transversed laterally, thereby varying the configuration and course of the pneumatic transfer line.

The rotary motion of the cylinders 20 in the fixed accumulating and compacting device, must be synchronised with the rotation of the elements arranged at the entry to the second machine in the spinning line, which cylinders must rotate at a speed suificient to ensure that the entire cylinder assembly tends to press the fibres down through the accumulating and compacting space 21.

In the embodiment described, the multiple, loosecoupled elements 18 of the transfer pipeline are identical and joined by hinge pins 19 placed horizontally through their axes, in such manner that each element is hinged by its rear end to the front end of the following element and by its front end to the rear end of the preceding element 18, thus forming a loosely socket-jointed assembly of elements in series, in the direction of fiow of 'the airstream as indicated by the arrow (FIG. 3) viz, the narrow end 18 of each element fits into the wider end 18 of the adjacent element, looking in the direction of flow of the airstream. A gap between the narrow end 18 of each element and the wider end 18 of the adjacent element allows excess air which is not required for transferring the fibres to be expelled in a reverse direction.

The apparatus described above may be modified to provide along the pneumatic transfer line, i.e., between blower 24 and mouthpiece 13, one or several air discharge members in order to exhaust the excess air which is not required for transferring the fibres.

The volume of air required between blower 24 and suction means 16 is higher than the amount required for transferring the fibres between blower 24 and mouthpiece .13 because the suction effect in the discharge end of the first machine 11 is of importance for the withdrawing of the fibres.

A high air flow in the discharge nozzle 13 is not desirable because this air has to be eliminated through the perforated walls of the cylinders 20. It is therefore desirable to reduce the rate of air flow between blower 24 and nozzle or mouthpiece 13. The elements 18 can be mounted in such a manner that fibres are not discharged along with the excess air.

One way of attaining discharge of the excess air and at the same time avoiding fibre discharge is to place'the air discharge nozzle in a counter direction with respect to the flow of fibres or to connect in the line a special device for separating a part of the air flow but allowing at the same time the fiow required to discharge the fibres at the nozzle 13.

The present invention affords the following substantial advantages:

(1) Any momentary interruption or defect in one of the transfer means or elements thereof does not as .in other systems immediately produce a flaw or defect in the sheet or sliver produced. This is primarily due to the fact that there is sufiicient free space in the means accumulating and compacting the fibres before the entry to the second machine, which space is not influenced by and in any case does not influence the shape and characteristics of the sheet or sliver produced at the exit from the said device, always and only when the lack of synchronism between the entry of the fibres to the said device and the formation of the sheet or sliver at the exit therefrom are of short duration,

(2) The same reserve capacity in the accumulating and compacting device enables automatic regulation. or correction of the small differences which may subsist in the feeding of the fibres to the entry of the pneumatic transfer system; as, for instance, the variations which may occur in the successive operations of the initial or preceding, breaker or opener, in the case where such a machine is precedingly used.

(3) These improvements eliminate all and any stresses in the sheet or sliver arising from the action of the system used for distributing or spreading the carded sheet or sliver, and in particular any changes of direction thereof, thus avoiding the possibility of these stresses becoming manifested, as actually happens, in a variation of the uniformity ultimately affecting the quality of the end product.

(4) The rate of feed and distribution of the fibres to the accumulating and compacting device is very high in relation to the rate of discharge of the sheet or sliver for such device; which circumstance in conjunction with the relatively large free space available in the accumulatmg and compacting means produces a remarkably regular and uniform sheet or sliver at the exit from the said device and at the entry to the second or succeeding ma chine.

(5) It becomes possible to adapt the pneumatic transfer means to suit the properties of the fibre(s) to be transferred and their count or fineness, while retaining thereby in every case, a perfect functioning of the pneumatic transfer means themselves. 7

I claim:

1. Fibre transfer and distributing apparatus connectible between two successive machines used in the processing of textile fibres comprising fibre accumulating and compacting means consisting of a plurality of pairs of oppositely rotatable cylinders mounted to define a funnel and fixed at the intake end of the second machine, the longitudinal axes of the cylinders being arranged parallel to each other, and fibre transfer means consisting of a flexible elongated pneumatic conveyor pipe, suction means located at one end of said conveyor pipe connectible to the discharge end of the first machine, and a discharge mouthpiece located at the other end of said conveyor pipe and adapted for reciprocating transverse movement parallel to the longitudinal axes of said cylinders and within the entry of the fibre accumulating and compacting means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinders are perforated.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylinders are synchronized with the motion of the elements in the intake of the second machine.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elongated pneumatic conveyor pipe is composed in at least part of its length of loose-coupled elements of constant length permitting said reciprocating transverse movement.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the fibre transfer means includes a variable speed fan.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the loose coupled elements are identical and hinged on their centre lines in such a manner that each such element is joined at its rear end to the front end of the element which it precedes, and hinged at its own front to the rear end of the element which it follows, the front end of smaller cross-section of any such element entering the wider rear end of the preceding hinged element, in the direction corresponding to the flow of air in the pneumatic conveyor pipe.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a gap for excess air is provided between the front end of at least one element and the rear end of the preceding element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,284,140 4/1966 Reiterer 30259 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,247,687 10/1960 France.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner. 

